G-Sides
G-Sides is a collection of tracks that previously appeared on the first four Gorillaz UK single releases (the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, Clint Eastwood, 19/2000 and Rock The House). The album was originally scheduled only for the Japanese market. In Japan short commercially released singles of 3-4 tracks are not as popular as they are in the UK / Australia, and bands frequently released what are in effect extended EPs of tracks collected from several releases. By December 2001 there was more than enough released material available to warrant the release of such an extended EP, and at ten tracks, it can deservedly be called an album (albeit a compilation album). Some of the initial track choices are mystifying - why include the radio edit of Rock The House over, say, the excellent Damon-sung version of Latin Simone, or 19/2000 (Wiseguys House Of Wisdom Remix)? Or better still, why not just include these two tracks as well? (This can perhaps be explained in part by the fact that EMI did not want G-Sides, released at a 'budget' price, to detract attention from the main album which would still have been selling well). 2002 saw continued demand for Gorillaz product in Europe and the US, and so a full release was scheduled for these territories. In Europe, the Japanese tracklisting was retained (to save on production costs - despite the fact that the debut had been reissued to include the Soulchild remix, making the compilation potentially even worse value for European buyers). However to retain this tracklisting for the US would have been an insult too far ('Left Hand Suzuki Method' and 'Dracula' having been included on the standard US release of the debut album), and so the 'other two' available B-sides were drafted in, with the radio edit of 'Rock The House' being dropped too, this latter alteration being more puzzling. This left the US version down to just nine tracks, and with it being the only version not to feature the videos to 'Rock The House' and 'Clint Eastwood', US fans could justifiably feel a little cheated. Eventually a 'dream release' of G-Sides, containing a superset of the tracks on the US and European / Japanese editions was released, in far-flung Brazil, instantly becoming a desirable collector's item. G-Sides remains a flawed release and a dedicated fan will want to seek out the individual UK singles. However for thousands of other fans it provided a cheap and easy way of getting hold of many Gorillaz B-Sides. The quality, track-for-track, does not approach that of the debut, and with so many remixes it does not sit easy together as an album. That said, most of the B-Sides are pretty good and so a fan of 'Gorillaz' would be well advised to seek it out. =Tracklistings= Japan, UK, Australia, Germany, China, France, Venezuela 1. 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) 3:27 2. Dracula 4:43 3. Rock The House (Radio Edit) 3:03 4. The Sounder (Edit) 4:29 5. Faust 3:51 6. Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher Version) 4:52 7. Ghost Train 3:54 8. Hip Albatross 2:43 9. Left Hand Suzuki Method 3:10 10.12D3 3:25 Enhanced section: Rock The House video, Clint Eastwood video US 1. 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) 3:27 2. Latin Simone 3:37 3. 19/2000 (The Wiseguys House Of Wisdom Remix) 7:15 4. The Sounder (Edit) 4:29 5. Faust 3:51 6. Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher Version) 4:52 7. Ghost Train 3:54 8. Hip Albatross 2:43 9.12D3 3:25 Brazil 1. 19/2000 (Soulchild Remix) 3:27 2. Latin Simone 3:37 3. 19/2000 (The Wiseguys House Of Wisdom Remix) 7:15 4. The Sounder (Edit) 4:29 5. Faust 3:51 6. Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher Version) 4:52 7. Ghost Train 3:54 8. Hip Albatross 2:43 9.12D3 3:25 10. Dracula 4:43 11. Rock The House (Radio Edit) 3:03 12. Left Hand Suzuki Method 3:10